BALTIMORE (Oct. 27, 2009) – Four private floral design schools have been approved by the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) as having met AIFD’s requirements to be an Education Pathway provider for the new Certified Floral Designer (CFD) program.

To be an approved CFD Education Pathway provider, the schools must be an AIFD Education Partner, have AIFD level designers on the teaching faculty and have a curriculum that meets the CFD education learning objectives.

The four schools that are the first to meet the standards are: the Benz School of Floral Design, College Station,TX; Floral Design Institute, Portland, OR; Koehler & Dramm’s Institute of Floristry, Minneapolis, MN; and South Florida Center for Floral Studies, West Palm Beach, FL.

AIFD’s new CFD professional designation program offers five Education Pathway options to candidates wishing to enroll in the program. A floral designer must have successfully completed one of the Education Pathways before he or she is able to enroll as a CFD Candidate.

The options, in addition to a course of study through an approved private floral design school, include a series of online and classroom sessions presented by AIFD, personal self-evaluations for those who have been in the floral business for more than three years, approved courses offered by various state florists associations offering state certification, or graduation from an institution of higher education with a degree or major including floral design/floristry.

For more information on enrolling in the AIFD CFD professional recognition program or on becoming an approved pathway provider, visit or contact AIFD at 410-752-3318.